Week of May 11, 2026

The Spy in the Glass World: When Intelligence Costs More Than It’s Worth

Шпион в стеклянном мире: когда добыча информации стоит дороже, чем она сама

Intelligence is returning to its central question: What does the other side actually think and decide? The answer cannot be obtained via satellite or intercepted communications. Only a human being inside the system truly knows. But gaining access to such people — in Russia, in China — has become fundamentally different from what it was twenty years ago.

Taiwan and the Strait of Malacca: What Comes Next

Тайвань и Малаккский пролив: что нас ждёт дальше

Beijing has spent years openly rehearsing a naval blockade of the island. The "Joint Sword 2025" exercises and the subsequent 2026 maneuvers are not a show of force for its own sake — they are an accumulation of operational experience. The difference between a rehearsal and the real thing is a political decision, not a question of military readiness.